The answer to the subtitle is habitat destruction, pollution, global warming, reduction of prey, war, poachers and often all of the above. There are few surprises in these photo essays of disappearing large predators by the prolific author of science titles for young readers. However, the glossy full-color photos, strong conservation message and the selection of familiar and appealing predators will invite browsing by nature enthusiasts. Included here are lions, tigers, cheetahs, cougars, grizzly bears, polar bears and killer whales. The author urges people to “practice tolerance” sharing the wilderness with large predators. For example, when encountering a cougar: “shout at the cat, make yourself look big, and even throw objects in its direction.” That works, provided the cougar also practices tolerance. The author suggests the reader can “reduce conflicts” between cougars and domestic animals by making sure pets and livestock are protected within shelters and fences. The Endangered Species Act, eco-tourism and land purchases for protective refuges are discussed as efforts to reduce extinction. Readers are urged to “take action” by recycling and joining environmental groups, and the author provides websites for more information. A minor effort. (Nonfiction. 9-10)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2007
ISBN: 978-1-59078-435-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Boyds Mills
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2007
The Pumpkin Book (32 pp.; $16.95; Sept. 15; 0-8234-1465-5): From seed to vine and blossom to table, Gibbons traces the growth cycle of everyone’s favorite autumn symbol—the pumpkin. Meticulous drawings detail the transformation of tiny seeds to the colorful gourds that appear at roadside stands and stores in the fall. Directions for planting a pumpkin patch, carving a jack-o’-lantern, and drying the seeds give young gardeners the instructions they need to grow and enjoy their own golden globes. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 15, 1999
ISBN: 0-8234-1465-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1999
Bishop’s spectacular photographs of the tiny red-eyed tree frog defeat an incidental text from Cowley (Singing Down the Rain, 1997, etc.). The frog, only two inches long, is enormous in this title; it appears along with other nocturnal residents of the rain forests of Central America, including the iguana, ant, katydid, caterpillar, and moth. In a final section, Cowley explains how small the frog is and aspects of its life cycle. The main text, however, is an afterthought to dramatic events in the photos, e.g., “But the red-eyed tree frog has been asleep all day. It wakes up hungry. What will it eat? Here is an iguana. Frogs do not eat iguanas.” Accompanying an astonishing photograph of the tree frog leaping away from a boa snake are three lines (“The snake flicks its tongue. It tastes frog in the air. Look out, frog!”) that neither advance nor complement the action. The layout employs pale and deep green pages and typeface, and large jewel-like photographs in which green and red dominate. The combination of such visually sophisticated pages and simplistic captions make this a top-heavy, unsatisfying title. (Picture book. 7-9)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-590-87175-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1999
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